been re-reading a lot of comics trying to compile a selection for the massive analysis i'm working on and god i wish they expanded more on this instead of sandpapering joker down into a generic wifebeater like... this is so interesting come on??? joker trying to kill harley not bc he dislikes her but bc being in a mutually caring relationship that has even a few kinda sorta healthy-ish qualities is so upsetting to him that the only feasible option is to not merely to get rid of the other person but to straight up Murder Them? (given, that is his strategy for a lot of things but... yk.) joker being (presumably) honest with harley before killing her is also so interesting??? like he did not have to provide an explanation he easily could've just launched the rocket.

anyway... this entire thing fits in soooo well with my conceptualization of joker as someone who is completely unfamiliar with and uncomfortable with positive, healthy relationships or even interactions with other human beings, who only knows how to relate to and interact with other people through violence, exploitation, or dominance i.e. power dynamics in which he's in control, or playing a part, i.e. putting on a persona/"performance" to get specific results.

i just love the idea that his behaviors are more the result of a fundamental lack of social/life skills (meaning that he never had the opportunities to learn those skills) rather than like... the idea that he had those skills at one point but is unable to use them in his current state (as implied in the tkj jeannie origin).